The Most Avoided Diagnosis in Business: Who Is Managing Your C-Suite?

Nearly half of company boards never regularly evaluate their CEO, and Maartje van Krieken explains why that silence at the top quietly costs organizations far more than any bad quarter.

Most leadership teams look calm from the outside. Meetings run smoothly, decisions get made, and everyone seems aligned. Maartje argues that calm can be a warning sign rather than a strength. When a senior team stops disagreeing about anything important, has it really reached alignment, or has it just learned to avoid the hard conversations?

She breaks down the three layers of accountability that should exist at the top of every organization. The board should hold the CEO responsible. The CEO should hold the C-suite responsible. And the C-suite should hold each other responsible. Maartje explains why each layer tends to fail quietly, from boards with a personal stake in the CEO they hired to executives who stop challenging peers because their own career depends on staying in favor.

She draws on two real cases. One is a public company unraveling under a founder-led board. The other is a mid-market business where every department performs well alone but nothing gets done together. She shows what dysfunction actually looks like before it becomes a crisis. What happens in the room when the CEO isn't there? Does anyone still get uncomfortable on purpose?

Maartje closes with a case for bringing in an outside perspective before problems harden into politics. Her takeaway is direct. The strongest leadership teams share a habit most performance systems miss. They tell each other the truth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Hidden Cost of an Unaccountable C-Suite

04:43 The Three Layers of Leadership Accountability Explained

08:45 A Public Company Case Study in Board Failure

11:26 PE-Backed vs Mid-Market: How Company Type Shapes Accountability

16:09 A Real Case of C-Suite Silos and Dysfunction

18:30 Warning Signs of a Dysfunctional C-Suite

20:11 The Hidden Cost of a Team That Avoids Conflict

24:53 When a Performance Problem Becomes a Turnaround

27:35 Three Steps to Close the Accountability Gap This Week

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Host Maartje van Krieken is a crisis strategist and decision-making expert who thrives in high-stakes business environments. Combining disaster management training, hands-on experience in global industries, and leadership skills honed as a seasoned sailor, she helps businesses navigate chaos with precision. Whether tackling transformation, scaling challenges, or leadership bottlenecks, Maartje delivers actionable insights to turn turbulence into traction.

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